With that said, I think this newsletter is the weakest of the pieces that I intend to include in my digital portfolio. I need to 'fix' the big brown box in the lower right corner (back cover.) It looks like 'filler' (that's what it is.) I need to remove the box and replace it with an 'article', even if that article is just greeking.
I actually think the issue with both the big brown boxes is that they are flat fields of color. Look at the rest of your design - everything is a raster based image! These guys stick out like a sore thumb because they do not follow the pattern.
ReplyDeleteI would try replacing them with a scan of a recipe card or even just straight up paper and seeing what that does for the piece.
They also have the strongest value of anything in either spread - so they are very commanding. Because they are drawing so much attention, the fact that they are not treated in the same manner is all the more obvious.
--- the humble opinion of NOT a graphic designer.